Field Gulls
The Seahawks finally took a quarterback with potential to be a starter. Let’s look at the good and bad of Jalen Milroe.
Since Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022, there has been speculation that the Seattle Seahawks would draft a QB. The only investment made was a failed trade for Sam Howell, who was drafted by Washington in 2022. The day has finally come for the Seahawks to draft their QB.
In a highly contested class, the team selected Jalen Milroe, a QB who needs a lot of refinement as a passer, but who has a very high ceiling. Will he work out for the Seahawks?
Jalen Milroe is the son of a military family and began his contact with football in Maryland, after his parents retired from the military. He was coached by his father in high school. Milroe arrived at college as a 4-star prospect, ranked one position ahead of Garrett Nussmeier, one of the good names at the position for the 2026 NFL Draft.
His first offer was from Texas State, but the invitations came in droves. Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Oregon, Texas A&M were some of the ones that offered him a scholarship. He accepted the offer from Texas, a team he really liked. However, when Quinn Ewers went to the Longhorns, Milroe changed his decision to Alabama, where he would replace Drake Maye who had changed his decision from Alabama to North Carolina.
Milroe graduated with honors, winning the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is considered the academic Heisman, joining Barrett Jones (2012) as the only Alabama players to achieve such an achievement. He is a recognized leader under Nick Saban, serving as a two-year captain. He finished his career with 426 completions of 663 attempts, 6,016 yards, 45 TDs, 20 INTs, 1,577 yards and 13 rushing TDs.
The Seahawks used the 92nd pick in the third round, coming from the Geno Smith trade, to select quarterback Jalen Milroe. He is the third quarterback selected by John Schneider in 16 drafts. Russell Wilson in the third round (75th) in 2012 and Alex McGough (USFL MVP) in the seventh (220th) in 2018 are the others.
He had a very difficult start to 2023, being benched and even becoming the third option. This did not shake him and in the following game he resumed the starting role and his numbers were so good that he was even considered among the Heisman finalists. In other words, Milroe ended 2023 on a high note and it was expected that this would continue in 2024.
However, with Kalen DeBoer as Head Coach of the Crimson Tide, there was a decline in the QB’s performance. Milroe is partly to blame for this, but clearly, DeBoer’s scheme was not adapted to what he had at his disposal.
Jake Haener, Michael Penix Jr., and Will Rogers were...
